A petition backing Chris Packham has topped 8,000 as viewers back the star after he was blasted by a campaign group.

The Countryside Alliance urged the BBC to sack the Springwatch presenter and naturalist over his comments criticising charities for staying "silent" on fox hunting, the badger cull and the plight of hen harriers.

The group, which campaigns in favour of country sports, accused Chris of using his job to promote "blatant political propaganda" and said he had used "the fame given to him by his work for the BBC to promote an increasingly extreme agenda".

But rival campaigners have now set up the 'Don't sack Chris Packham' petition and praised his comments for being "brave".

The presenter has been at the centre of a strong debate (Image: BBC)

In his column for the BBC Wildlife magazine, Chris wrote: “We want more action from Britain’s conservation leaders, not the fence-sitting and ineffectual risk-avoidance that have contributed to the mess we’re in now."

A petition at Change.org reads: "The Countryside Alliance have made an outrageous attack on Chris Packham wrongly accusing him and telling the BBC to sack him.

"Chris truly cares about wildlife and conservation and has put himself on the line to stand up for his beliefs which are based on sound knowledge.

"It takes a brave man to make changes in this world, to break down old, outdated and deeply damaging traditions, and to call for the law to be upheld to save our wildlife."

The petition adds Chris has "not transgressed his impartiality" and has "not compromised the BBC".

In an open letter to the BBC Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, said: "Chris Packham is a BBC presenter – we know that because he tells us so in his Twitter biography and because he appears on nearly every BBC programme with any link to wildlife.

‘He is also a disciple of the animal rights movement and signs up to its creed by voicing his opposition to all the usual activities from badger culling to grouse shooting and, of course, hunting."

They continued: "We are lucky live in a liberal democracy where people are able to hold any number of bizarre views.

Chris Packham on Winterwatch (Image: BBC)

"There is no issue with people voicing such opinions, but using the position granted by a public service broadcaster to promote an extreme agenda is a different thing entirely.

‘The BBC knows this, and has been forced to act once, but it has also ignored other complaints and failed to address its employee’s obvious abuse of his position."

A BBC spokesperson said: “Chris Packham is a scientist and author in his own right and is not solely employed by the BBC.

"If Chris Packham wishes to express his personal views outside of his employment on BBC Natural History programmes, he is entitled to do so.”